


Greater Good

by DuaeCat



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Political Alliances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 20:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14316525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuaeCat/pseuds/DuaeCat
Summary: When the First Order makes an unreasonable demand for an allegiance, Poe Dameron rises to the occasion.





	Greater Good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Artemis1000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis1000/gifts).



“You don’t have to go through with this, we could find another way,” Leia spoke gently, fussing with Poe’s tie for what felt like the dozenth time. The fact everyone was just as nervous about this as him was strangely reassuring in its own way. He was fairly sure there was at least one blaster concealed under Leia’s dignified and elaborate outfit in blatant disregard for the blanket weapons ban that had been imposed on the ceremony.

“You know as well as I do if there was a better way, we’d have already figured it out. It’s a little late now.” Poe shrugged, trying to shake the feeling he was walking into a trap. “You know as well as I do this is more of a power play. I can handle it.” He’d read over the contract dozens of times to find out what was expected of him, looking for hidden traps but everything seemed straightforward.

The First Order and the Resistance had been in a stalemate for far too long, to the point things were settling down into a fragile sort of peace. The First Order really only needed something that an alliance with the Resistance could grant them: a veneer of legitimacy. It had taken the better part of a year to work out the alliance details, and things had nearly fallen apart at the First Order’s demand that the Resistance prove they were willing to do whatever it took, for the good of the galaxy.

Poe took one final look in the mirror, steeling himself so he could at least look like he didn’t care he was essentially trading his freedom for that of the galaxy, and headed out to get married.

* * *

 

The room felt on the edge of too hot with all the bodies crammed into it. Even BB-8 seemed intimidated by the crowd, rolling close enough to press against the side of his leg. Poe Dameron hadn’t attended that many weddings in his life, but he was fairly sure most of them didn’t feel like a cross between a funeral and a turf war. He lingered in the back as the music started, waiting for his cue as everyone hushed. He tried to catch people’s eyes as he walked. Rey looked lovely, the formal brown and tan dress and slacks she was wearing bore more than a passing resemblance to the old Jedi robes, and Poe had little doubt she could fight just as well in them. He also wouldn’t have put it past her to have picked the outfit out as a subtle insult. Rose was sitting beside her, looking like she might cry and not in a good way. Poe tried to give her an encouraging wink before he was looking ahead and to the altar.

Kylo was already waiting, at least he was in a slightly different all black outfit than he usually wore. He looked somewhere between disgruntled and constipated, which Poe thought was entirely unfair considering the whole thing was his idea. He could have asked for anything as symbolic of their alliance, why a wedding? Kylo glanced down at where BB-8 had taken up his position at Poe’s flank with a warble quiet enough to barely be heard over the music, his expression changing to disapproval. Poe stared him down silently, almost daring him to try and raise an objection. There wasn’t anything forbidding BB from being there and Kylo had to know it. After a moment more Kylo glanced back to the officiant and while Poe didn’t exactly relax, he did feel like he’d won a tiny battle.

Poe did all of the motions by rote, said his lines, and counted down until this part at least would be over.

* * *

 

The reception was somehow worse. Poe had to smile for holos, make small talk, and at least pretend this wasn’t a ridiculous farce for political gain. He snagged drinks when they came by, enough to at least take the edge off, even if he didn’t trust the situation enough to get truly tipsy.

Several times he almost expected the tension to bubble over into an actual fight, but despite all of his pessimistic predictions it never happened. They were all tired, Poe realized as he scanned the crowd. Tired of sleeping in their flight suits in case an attack came at night, tired of moving between bases, tired of skirmishes that accomplished nothing but might mean fewer friends coming home, and very tired of holding their breath waiting for it all to turn into a nightmare again. If gritting their teeth and pretending not to hate each other for a few hours could buy them peace, they’d do it. After all, he was willing to do a lot more for a lot longer.

* * *

 

Poe hadn’t been paying particularly close attention to the house he was walking through once he finally bid his friends goodbye and left the reception. Technically his house now too, but he doubted that would be true in practice. He started to follow Kylo through a doorway and then the bedroom was lavish enough that he paused to take it in.

“Who’d you have to kill to get a place like this?” Poe asked before he could stop to think that antagonizing the man he was about to sleep with might be a bad idea.

“The Emperor,” Kylo said far too seriously and Poe just stared at him for a long awkward moment until he continued. “This was Emperor Palpantine’s villa, though I doubt he ever stepped foot in it after he left for the Senate on Coruscant. I thought it fitting to acquire it for my own purposes.”

Poe glanced around with new scrutiny, but it looked like any other generic upscale bedroom, like something he’d expect to see in a casino hotel for those who could afford it. Kylo might have ordered it remodeled at some point, or it could have just been the sort of showy home a rich politician would have owned. There was nothing to point to it being the evil lair of a man bent on galactic conquest, and Poe almost found himself a little disappointed.

“There’s a charging station out in the hallway,” Kylo said, a little too pointedly, and Poe tried not to bristle. It wasn’t like he wanted an audience for this, but something about Kylo made him want to argue just on principle. Instead he turned, kneeling down to put a hand on the top of BB-8’s round body.

“You go out and charge up, buddy. I’ll be fine,” Poe said, trying to sound relaxed and unworried. From BB-8’s unhappy beeps he wasn’t entirely convinced, but he did roll out and leave him alone.

With Kylo Ren.

At least it couldn’t be much worse than the wedding itself? Part of the contract had been clear, one of the clauses was that neither was allowed to inflict substantial physical harm on the other or the contract would be considered null and void. It wasn’t an airtight solution, but it was the sort of thing that should keep Kylo from murdering him in his sleep. The worst that should happen was the sex was lousy, and Poe had lived through a lot worse. He started tugging his clothing off, tossing it carelessly in a pile. He could deal with it needing to be cleaned and properly put away later, it wasn’t like he was planning to wear it again anytime soon.

Poe was down to just his underthings when he realized Kylo hadn’t even started undressing.

“If you’re having second thoughts about this, we don’t have to do this. We don’t even have to sleep in the same bed, this place has to have other bedrooms. The marriage contract never said anything about sex with each other, just that we can’t do anything with anyone else,” Poe stated, trying to sound casual about it. That seemed to snap Kylo out of his thoughts and he frowned, starting to tug off his own jacket.

“It’s not a requirement, but it’s traditional,” Kylo said, but he sounded more hesitant than Poe would have expected.

“Suit yourself.” Poe finished undressing, sliding between the sheets to wait.

When Kyo did finally join him he ended up throwing caution to the winds a little, taking the lead. If it was going to happen he could at least try and make the best of things.

* * *

 

He woke up the next morning to BB-8 coming in, chattering loudly. The bed beside him was empty and there didn’t seem to be any sign Kylo had ever even been there. Poe went to get himself cleaned up and to find his clothes.

“Guess I’m spending my honeymoon with my friends.” Poe patted BB-8 fondly. He may have been required to officially live with Kylo, but he was a busy man. No one would fault him for spending a lot of time out working.

* * *

 

“Look who finally decided to show back up,” Kylo’s voice cut through the quiet of the room and Poe stiffened, not turning around just yet. “I was beginning to wonder if I should send out search parties.”

“Aww, you worried about me.” Poe put on a smile he knew from experience tended to aggravate, straightening up from stuffing his clothes in the cleaning unit, turning around.

“I worried you might be having second thoughts about keeping up your end of the bargain,” Kylo said darkly. He didn’t look that great, Poe was surprised to find himself noticing. There were dark shadows under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping well. Probably the stress of trying to actually rule instead of just blowing stuff up, Poe thought fairly uncharitably.

“Not a chance, you can check my flight logs if you want. I just don’t have any desire to hang around here doing nothing, so I went to help relief efforts for a mining colony. They needed pilots to shuttle supplies,” Poe explained, not that he really owed it to him.

“You expect me to believe a General of the resistance was hauling supplies like some freight pilot?” Kylo asked. Poe snorted.

“It’s not a matter of belief, it’s the truth. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty,” Poe said, and it was the truth. There was something nice about direct actions and direct results. A new water filtration system could be brought in, set up, and start producing clean water with none of the dangerous mining runoff chemicals in a matter of days or less. So much of politics was trying to estimate how tiny changes would play out years, maybe decades later. He could be aware that those sorts of long term changes were just as important, sometimes more so, and still hate the level of patience involved.

Kylo stared at him long enough for it to be awkward and Poe had the odd feeling he was being tested in some way. He knew that unless he was resisting and someone was forcing the issue a brief mind scan didn’t hurt the way an interrogation did, it was still odd to think about. But it wasn’t as though he was being untruthful. He’d spent a boring few weeks piloting freighters, helping haul equipment, and being helpful. He hadn’t done anything to be worried about.

“You never really intended for this to work out, did you?” Poe finally asked when it had gone on just a little too long. “You expected me to refuse to marry you and we called your bluff, and then you had no choice.”

“It needed to be something that the Resistance would never agree to, but would sound reasonable from the outside. That way you’d seem at fault for being unwilling to negotiate, but then you agreed,” Kylo sounded more irritated then truly angry, and Poe figured he’d had as much time to regret the plan as Poe had to worry about it.

“Guess we’re both stuck making the best of it then,” Poe said casually enough. “Did you have dinner plans? Because I’m ready to eat something that didn’t come out of a package.”

Kylo shook his head slightly.

“Then lets go find a place,” Poe offered.

“What game are you playing?” Kylo asked, looking vaguely perplexed, and Poe decided to count it as another small victory.

“No game, I’m hungry, you’re here, going out sounds like a great idea. Besides, it’ll be good PR.” Poe smiled, making an attempt at being charming. The food part at least was honest, but he had to admit that throwing Kylo off balance was beginning to hold a certain appeal. Kylo obviously expected him to hate the situation, why not pretend he was fine with it?

“Then we can go out, I know a few places,” Kylo said, obviously trying to take control of the situation once more.

“Great. By the way, you’re paying,” Poe said, grabbing his jacket and heading out to find BB-8 so he could come along if he wanted. At least it looked like things weren’t going to be boring anytime soon.


End file.
